Season 3: Gan to War
Prologue: It has been three months since the downfall of Petra… Southern Petra. Thanks to a couple of people on a luxury cruise, they got to the Lighthouse of Petra and turned the flame blue. Guards were forewarned before the summit was forced to disband and while a mass evacuation of airships led many to Gan, the forces held the undead horde at bay. Northern Petra, the Everburning Lighthouse, survives. Grand Minister Balthasar is given martial law control of Northern Petra until this matter is settled; they are at the border of war. The Duchy of Gan, also known as the Mountain of Progress, experiences an influx of refugees from other regions due to its natural defenses. But as Gan manufactures the most weaponry in the Slate Empire, its success becomes important into winning the war. However, progress comes at a great cost. Opal, which fuels the ArcanaTech progress, has been overmined in Gan and is about to run out. Yet there is another region in Slate, the Elmas Nation, that is very rich in opal ore and they have yet to find an alternative energy source. Elmas is also the base of the Necromancer and the undead horde. Airships and other machines without this opal are breaking down. In a matter of two months, 80% of all airships lose flight, leaving the Slate of Empire only four working airships. Two of them, The Cygnus Aura, the Royal Airship of Slate, and the Battleship Honora (pronounced Onora), remain in Gan. The most experimental machines exclusive to Gan, the Articulated, humanoid constructs made for functions are still active. No more can be made, but to some, this is not a bad thing. Constructs replacing human workers are a concern, especially for new refugees who have established a new life here. The Tinkerers in Petra, who are among the Eyes of World, can help rebuild this world. We are about to experience a technology boom in Gan at a moment when Slate Empire needs it the most. The Timeless are watching. Carefully. Episode 3.1 With Sasha still sick and unconscious for the past three months, Meesha of Gan has taken over as the Duchess of Gan at a time when Gan technology is beginning to degrade and things are breaking down. They are in need of more energy sources as the movements of the Undead Horde are uncertain at this time. Gunther informs Prince Maximillian that the Empire of Rasa is beginning to build up its armies with the suspicion that the Empire of Rasa is making moves to attack the Empire of Slate while it is dealing with the undead. An emergency envoy is formed quickly to send to Walay (pronounced Wall-Lye), the region that is most diplomatic with Slate. Maximillian's nightmares have been infrequent, thanks to Esmeralda's medicine, but his tolerance to the medicine means she is delaying it from getting worse. But Walay has rare herbs that can work as panaceas, increasing the need to go there. The collective heads that are present in Gan discuss where to send their last remaining airships. When the group asked the tribal leaders of Elmas, Wind Rider and Diaspora, about going into Elmas, they were adamant about not sending the constructs, the Articulated, into that area. They are aware that the main reason the group wants to go into Elmas is due to the rich ores of opal, enabling Gan to continue making their technology work. Queen Elizabeth negotiated for the Elmans to consider taking one of the Articulated to see the effects of the Elman curse or even how they deal with the Undead in that area. They wanted only to take an Articulated that is not programmed for fighting, so they decided on taking #17, the non-fighting art, on that travel. Reports of an attack on the Arsenal disrupt the meeting. While investigating the arsenal, 2/3rds of the weapons became obsolete from running out of opal, releasing steam into the air with looked like an explosion rather than attack. Behind the scenes, Queen Elizabeth is trying to extend her hand to the Elman chiefs, knowing that Elmas and Basalt have had a long bitter history that resulted in the destruction of Elmas. But also behind closed doors, Reynard the Fox makes an offer to support their exploration into Elmas in exchange for a portion of the opals mined in the area. And Reynard makes no illusion that this is purely business but can also offer jobs to the Elman peoples that the Elmans need. The airships are on their way to Walay and Petra, so that the group going there can get the maps of Elmas and other archives before heading to Elmas. And the Storyteller has discovered that one of the Articulated, #6, can feel the Timeless. And none of the Timeless are able to explain it. Episode 3.2 Two airships launch to different areas to deal with the oncoming war. Gunther and Prince Maximillian lead a group to the Island Kingdom of Walay in the Empire of Rasa in a diplomatic effort to stop them from invading but possibly solicit their help. Gunther prepares Prince Maximillian and #6 with back up plans by using potentially deception when dealing with Walay for the safety of the Slate Empire. Reynard the Fox commands Number 17 to load opal weapons from the Arsenal onto the airship before it departs for Petra and Gunther asks Reynard to have a medical bay built on the airship so that Maximillian can remain well if he’s feeling ill. However, there is not time for Reynard to load the weapons AND build the medical bay. His solution is to have the crew build medical bay built WHILE on the way to Walay. Mid-flight to Walay, building the medical bay takes affects the powering of the Royal Airship and the airship begins to descend and the people onboard panic. But thanks to the Tinkerers of Gan, they are able to divert opal power from the cannons to the propulsion and they made it safely. Reynard the Fox arrives, giving Muriel a lift to the Petra and they encounter Cayce. Cayce meets with Muriel privately and sees she seems paler than usual. She reassures them that she is fine. Cayce asks Muriel to go with them to the restricted archives for the Academy of Sphinxes. There are noises from down there, especially this is where the previous headmasters have been buried. The party arrives in Walay where they are subjected to a long wait before the Counselor, the voice of the Royals in Walay sees them. To everyone’s surprise, in his company is none other than Kassandra, the Last Prophet, who he has had tea with, to talk about fortunes and the future. Kassandra reveals to the group that Walay’s build up of army has nothing to do with an intention to invade Slate, it is because Walay is planning independence from Rasa. Reynard the Fox along with Number 17 arranges for the bombing run to happen at the border between Northern Petra and Southern Petra which is occupied by the undead. While there were losses and several of his mercenaries were infected by the undead, Reynard’s use of the Airship cannons makes further inroads south. Most importantly, Reynard captures a live undead from their ranks. Cayce and Muriel arrive in the dimly lit restricted archives with a torch. Horrible noises emanate from beyond the door and Muriel uses a spell to stiffen the muscles of an undead. When they open the door, something attacks. Cayce downs it using Alister’s sword and a torch is thrown, setting the undead on fire in the musty archives. As the fire spreads, Muriel runs into the library and grabs books related to simple spells and manage to leave and locked the restricted library before the fire gets out of hand. Back in Walay, the Counselor of Walay offers medicine and other things, which is of great interest to Prince Maximillian. The Prince offers the technology of radios through the Articulated and before the Counselor could express his doubt, a radio broadcast announces the arrival of new Optical and Medical technology, as well as Opalite, a new energy source that is now available thanks to the work of the Tinkerers in Gan. While a proposal is given to leave Number 6 in Walay while Walay considers its involvement trading with Slate and possibly involving their powerful Walayan navy… Episode 3.3 Deckard, the new Minister of Communication, arrives in Gan to learn more about the technology, specifically radio communication. #6, #17 and #29 shut down temporarily to update their systems and share information when #6 attains the name “Artur” and his programming becomes distinct. The delegation comes from Walay to rest at Myca, a resort area, before heading back to Gan. They meet up with the Heiress of Slate and the Countess of Carnelia who are there on vacation. But while visiting the local Scabby Rooster in Myca, the Blank Slate appears before them. Wind Rider is the one to pick it up and the Storyteller appears before her. At first, Wind Rider wishes to end necromancy, but the Storyteller points out she was going to do this regardless of the Blank Slate. Then Wind Rider asks to restore Gneiss, the main city of Elmas, to its former glory. The Storyteller asks her to determine a price she will pay for that wish. Prince Maximillian is lucid enough to get his visions back and the Storyteller allows him to ask any question. Max finds out that the Necromancer is on their way to Gan and communicates this to man people. In Petra, Muriel and Cayce experiment with the effects of necromantic magic on the opals of the Articulated. The result is that #17 began feeling things and the magic is mimicking a nervous system. Everyone is unsure how to feel about this. But #17 receives the transmission from Maximillian through Artur that the Necromancer is heading towards Gan and the group in Petra takes the airship back. Balthasar meets with individuals in Petra, looking hazard and searching for Pyrite, an explosive material. He finds a supplier and asks for a whole picnic basket full and takes underground passages to City Hall, which is currently occupied by Undead Hordes. Balthasar uses the medallion to summon all available Undead to him in City Hall. As he lures them into the building, completely surrounding him, he sets off a huge explosion that destroys City Hall and a few other buildings. Southern Petra is set ablaze in his sacrifice. Southern Petra burns, cleared of undead but unable to be claimed by anyone until the fires are extinguished. Episode 3.4 The delegation from Walay, composed of the Counselor of Walay and the Countess of Carnelia, meets with the Standing Duchess of Gan to order to discuss trading use of the Walayan Navy in exchange for an Articulated. However, Meesha is nowhere to be found and none of the Articulated can find her. Grease can play the audio from #17's data but the Counselor requires more proof so he is urged to go to Petra to see these undead for himself. Meanwhile, Gunther carries out an operation with his brother in Walay to obtain all the possible opal,since it is used as jewelry rather than fuel in that region. After Gunther's return to Gan, he meets with Prince Maximillian who has told him that he needs to deal with the Walayan delegation as the King's advisor. He also unexpectedly had to deal with Maker since the Eyes of the World gave her a whip to use she she wished. She used it to choke Gunther and force him into a monologue for his life. In a twist, the Storyteller gave control of the death monologue to Maker, but this allowed her to fa ind resolution to her anger with Gunther after her death. Muriel uses her mirror, granted by the Eyes of the World, to check in on King Gideon, but also to find out what happened to Balthasar. She learns by watching Fetch discovering Balthasar's medallion and cloak that he is dead. They also find a book called the "Secrets of the Griffin" in City Hall that is miraculously unscathed.